


Shield of fur

by SSJandTechno



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, First Time, Keyleth is a bundle of nerves, Keyleth-centric (Critical Role), Kissing, Undressing, What actually happens is barely there and barely discussed, introspective, wild shape
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24009436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSJandTechno/pseuds/SSJandTechno
Summary: Post c1e64, spoilers up to there.She wanted to do this, she’d wanted to for weeks, but she was scared.Keyleth knocks on Vax's door after the events of episode 64. Her intent was clear, but her resolve wavers in the face of it.This is very non-explicit. It's more about Keyleth's fear than anything else.
Relationships: Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	Shield of fur

**Author's Note:**

> A word of explanation:  
> We know that Keyleth and Vax spent the night together in episode 42, but not apparently again until episode 64/65. After this, they share a bed by habit. My assumption, and I know this is disputed in the fandom, is that no meaningful sexual contact occurred until 64.  
> It is also probably safe to assume that Vax was Keyleth's first partner, as Kash was her first kiss.

Keyleth shifted against Vax. She’d got this far. She’d found this much courage. She was alone with Vax, they weren’t going to be disturbed, unless something really horrible happened. This time, she was going to do it. This time, she was going to hold her nerve. 

Vax’s hands came up to her shoulders, she could feel him seeking the fastenings with his fine, thief’s fingers. So she should do the same to him? That made sense. She didn’t really want to ask him. They’d barely said a word to each other. He didn’t seem to want to talk, she had no idea what to say.

Vax was making faster work of her armour than she was of his. Working blindly like this was hard, and her hands were slipping, almost shaking. She was scared. She wanted to do this, she’d wanted to for weeks, but she was scared. She knew she wouldn’t do this well. She had no idea what she was doing. He drew back and made to pull her armour off over her head. She let him. She had two layers still over her body, she’d been prepared for Vorugal’s snow. Vax left those alone, going to his own armour instead, making up for her fumbling. 

It went on. Vax stripped himself to the waist before he reached for her. Her eyes clung to the myriad of scars over his chest, The Slayers Take brand, the elvish script on his wrist. She’d feel the burn scar she’d given him if she touched the back of his shoulder. She saw intent burning in his eyes as he pulled her two slips off over her head. She was not ready for this. She wanted to be, she wanted so fiercely to be ready, but she was just too scared. This would hurt her. She’d heard a girl in Stilben complaining of the pain of her new husband’s embrace. Or worse, what if the Un-Settling she was going to do afterwards didn’t work? What if she fell pregnant? She couldn’t do that. There were dragons everywhere. Nowhere was safe. They were cowering behind Gilmore’s shield. She couldn’t contemplate bringing a child in to a world like this. Nobody could. And even if by some miracle they won this, even if they vanquished the dragons and saved the world and somehow made everything right again, she could never have children. Not having done what she’d done. Not knowing what she knew about herself. She’d lost the right the day they’d fought The Dread Emperor. The day she’d killed another woman’s child. How could she think she could shelter her own?

Vax’s mouth found hers again. She wanted this. Part of her knew she was being stupid. Settling and Un-Settling had been used by Ashari druids to control their own fertility for countless generations. It worked. The problem, she realised as Vax found the loose end of her breast bindings and pulled, was that she was thinking too much. All she needed to do was make herself stop for a little while. 

She acted on the impulse, before she had time to think of a reason it might be a bad idea. She stepped back from Vax, undid her belt, and started to draw her legs free of her lower armour. He started to do the same, he had two belts to deal with. 

She dropped to the floor and took Minxie. A tigress in heat wouldn’t think. A tigress in heat wouldn’t dread or plan. She would want nothing but the touch of her mate, whatever the consequences. 

Vax swore and jumped back, still half-tangled in his pants, reaching for daggers that weren’t there. He stumbled and caught himself. He looked back at her for a long moment.

“Sorry.” He reached a hand out and touched one of her paws. “The last time I found myself alone with something tiger-ish, it didn’t go very well.” Hotis. She hadn’t thought. Of course she’d scared him. Vax ran his hands over her front paws. She let him feel, he was convincing herself she was still Keyleth, not The Rakshassa. He drew a breath slowly. “Alright. I think I’m down with this.” 

She brushed her face against his hands, then again with more pressure. He began to touch her in return. She felt a purr growing in her chest. He seemed to understand that. She dropped on to her side and rolled for him, letting him run his hands over her. And everything felt good. Every brush of his fingers, every press of the heels of his hands. The tigress wanted nothing but the touch of her mate.  
It was a while before Vax spoke again.

“Keyleth, I’m going to need the woman.” She shifted to look at him. He was being very accepting, but to someone who wasn’t Ashari, it probably seemed very odd. And he couldn’t follow her here, he couldn’t become a tiger to match her. She had to meet him where he was.  
Keyleth drew a deep breath and stepped away from Vax, he let her draw his hands with her until she was out of his reach.  
“Keyleth?”

She turned to face him again and dropped the form, dropped her shield, and was naked before him. 

Her heart was not changed. 

She met his eyes.

She saw what she felt reflected there.

She did not flinch.


End file.
